Are higher education institutions in Europe preparing students for IPSAS?

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (2/3) ◽  
pp. 363-378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Berit Adam ◽  
Isabel Brusca ◽  
Eugenio Caperchione ◽  
Jens Heiling ◽  
Susana Margarida F. Jorge ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Financial Management ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Accounting Standard ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Public Sector Accounting ◽  
Future Education ◽  
Near Future

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze whether higher education institutions (HEIs) in EU Member States are aware of the relevance of the ongoing reforms in public sector accounting (PSA) and the need to prepare their students to become expert professionals in that area. It particularly assesses whether these organizations currently provide, or will provide in the near future, education on International Public Sector Accounting Standard (IPSAS)/EPSAS, so that a sufficient number of graduates will be ready to match the foreseeable demand for experts in IPSAS/EPSAS. Design/methodology/approach Adopting a purposive sample, the paper compares the situation in four EU countries (Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain). Data have been obtained through a questionnaire provided to selected professors in relevant HEIs in the selected countries. Findings HEIs are giving only limited room to PSA and financial management, with differences in terms of program offerings and coverage of topics among the four countries. Furthermore, in most cases, the programs are adapted to the national budgetary and accounting standards and courses are seldom focused on the IPSASs. Originality/value The paper contributes to the literature on PSA harmonization, through an innovative analysis of PSA and financial management teaching, both at national and international levels.

First-time adoption of International Public Sector Accounting Standards by Russian universities: Practical aspects

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 364-383
Author(s):  
L.I. Kulikova ◽  
I.I. Yakhin
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Accounting Standards ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Academic Excellence ◽  
Public Sector Accounting ◽  
First Time ◽  
Russian Universities

Subject. This article examines the practice of first-time applying the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) by Russian higher education institutions. Objectives. The article aims to identify and address the problems associated with such application, and conduct a critical analysis of Russian universities' compliance with the requirements of the International Standards on their first-time adoption. Methods. For the study, we used observation, systematization, and a comparative analysis. Results. The article examines and describes the practical experience of the first-time use of IPSAS in the preparation of reporting by Russian educational institutions participating in the Russian Academic Excellence Project (5Top100 Project). It presents the results of the most typical reclassification adjustments of reporting items made by the universities when preparing their inductive statements of financial position as of the date of transition to IPSAS. Conclusions and Relevance. Most of the universities studied complied with the requirements of the IPSAS first-time adoption and provided comparative information in their first IPSAS financial reporting. The importance of the study is to justify the provision that financial reporting in accordance with IPSAS is appropriate to improve the international competitiveness of universities, which makes it possible to better reflect financial information on the activities of universities. The results of the study can be used in the practical activities of the Russian economy public sector organizations, and in the educational process of higher education institutions.

Can adaptive–academic leadership duo make universities ready for change? Evidence from higher education institutions in Pakistan in the light of COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aamna Tariq Mukaram ◽  
Kashif Rathore ◽  
Mukaram Ali Khan ◽  
Rizwan Qaiser Danish ◽  
Syed Sohaib Zubair
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Leadership Styles ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Readiness For Change ◽  
Academic Leadership ◽  
Adaptive Leadership ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type

Purpose In rapidly changing global village, individuals, organizations and the society are faced with various unforeseen challenges every day, and these challenges continuously trigger and test the instincts for survival, and higher education is of no exception. In the context of today’s most critical uncertainty, i.e. COVID-19, the purpose of this study is to highlight the significance of two leadership styles, i.e. adaptive and academic leadership, and assessing readiness for change among higher education institutions (HEIs) of Punjab, Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach An online survey was conducted to collect data from 404 permanent faculty members in the public sector universities identified using stratified random sampling. The hypotheses developed were tested using co-variance-based structural equation modeling. Findings As per the findings, both leadership styles as exogenous constructs and the presence of organizational learning capability as mediators contributed positively in crafting organizational readiness for change (ORC) among HEIs in the course of unpredictable circumstances. Practical implications The COVID-19 episode globally has reiterated the importance of change, and the role of leadership in this regard cannot be undermined. This study, for that matter, stresses on the importance and benefits of academic and adaptive leadership dealing with uncertainties or change and the readiness of HEIs for change. Several institutions faced challenges in doing so, and the transition was not smooth, except for institutions where leaders were the differentiating factor. On top of it, institutions that had timely invested in digital systems and had enhanced organizations learning capacity survived in these turbulent times. Originality/value COVID-19 has placed tremendous challenges on HEIs to adapt with the rapidly changing conditions. Hence, this study is unique in understanding the academic and adaptive leadership styles in context of ORC. This study further helps in understanding that how public sector universities that are already influenced by stringent bureaucratic structures react to change.

Preparing information on the financial situation by Russian educational organizations of higher education, according to International Public Sector Accounting Standards

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (10) ◽  
pp. 1099-1120
Author(s):  
I.I. Yakhin
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Accounting Standards ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Uniform Structure ◽  
Educational Organizations ◽  
Financial Position ◽  
Russian Higher Education ◽  
Public Sector Accounting

Subject. This article analyzes the practice of forming and disclosing information in Statements of Financial Position of Russian higher education institutions, compiled according to the requirements of International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS). Objectives. The article aims to investigate the structure and content of reporting on the financial position of Russian educational organizations, conduct a critical analysis of compliance with IPSAS Presentation of Financial Statements requirements, and identify and address the problems of information presentation and disclosure in the statements. Methods. For the study, I used observation, systematization, and a comparative analysis. Results. The article examines and describes the practical experience of the use of IPSAS in the preparation of reporting by Russian educational institutions participating in the Russian Academic Excellence Project (5Top100 Project), and presents certain results of the study of the Statement-of-Financial-Position structure and content. As well, the article presents an original single Statement format. Conclusions and Relevance. To ensure the comparability of the reporting data of various Russian higher education organizations, it is necessary to adhere to the uniform structure and content of the Statement of Financial Position. The results of the study can be used in the practical activities of the Russian economy public sector organizations, and the educational process of higher education institutions.

Time to rethink public sector accounting education? A practitioner’s perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 505-509
Author(s):  
Jens Heiling
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Accounting Education ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Study Programme ◽  
Public Sector Accounting ◽  
Full Study ◽  
Change Projects ◽  
Master Level

PurposePublic sector accounting (PSA) education has recently become the focus of scholars and practitioners alike. The article aims to reflect on PSA education from a practitioner’s perspective. Based on the author's experiences with accounting change projects in the public sector and teaching PSA education at different higher education institutions (HEIs) and levels, possible implications are derived for PSA education.Design/methodology/approachThe article represents a viewpoint by a practitioner. Examples of selected practical PSA issues are used to derive implications for PSA education.FindingsThe author suggests that it is likely time to rethink the design of PSA education in higher education. The growing complexities of PSA as well as its interdisciplinarity make it necessary that a full study programme at master level is needed to cover the requirements in practice and prepare graduates for the challenges lying ahead.Practical implicationsThe author finds that there is a possible gap in PSA education. Study programmes on PSA/PFM at master level are needed to cover the requirements in practice and prepare graduates for the challenges lying ahead.Originality/valueThe author contributes to the growing body of literature on PSA education by offering a practitioner’s perspective on the issue.

Measuring internal service quality: the case of the Greek public higher education institutions

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 268-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kornilia Skarpeta ◽  
Maria Koemtzi ◽  
Dimitrios Aidonis
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Service Quality ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Five Factor Model ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Public Organizations ◽  
Internal Quality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Internal Service Quality

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the idea of internal service quality in public organizations. An attempt is made to determine the key elements that define the concept of internal service quality and to identify the factors that support the attainment of high levels of internal quality. Internal service quality refers to the quality of services offered between units and/or employees within an organization and achieving internal quality in public authorities can contribute to the sustainability of the public sector. Design/methodology/approach A survey was conducted among administrative staff of the publicly owned Greek Higher Education Institutions. The research instrument uses a three-level approach on internal service quality: individual, departmental and organizational. The model was tested using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Findings Findings reveal a five-factor structure of internal service quality by adding the factors of interdepartmental quality and the human aspect of internal service provision. Analysis of the data suggests that internal service quality is dependent on the level of responsibility of the respondent’s job. Research limitations/implications There is evidence that the individual internal service quality factor needs to be enhanced with more items. In addition, in order to gain generalizable results, further research should be conducted in various types of public organizations. Originality/value This study examines a questionnaire that evaluates internal service quality and proposes a basic five-factor model for estimating this type of service quality. It also triggers the use of internal service quality theory within public sector organizations.

The impact of higher education commission of pakistan’s funding on the collection development budgets of university libraries

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ghalib Khan ◽  
Rubina Bhatti
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Financial Management ◽  
Survey Methods ◽  
Collection Development ◽  
University Libraries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Education Commission ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This study aims to investigate the annual financial management of university libraries in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Pakistan, and its relationship with Higher Education Commission (HEC) grants to examine libraries’ share. Design/methodology/approach Using survey methods, this study explores the annual budget allocation of well-established university libraries in the province of KPK in the past five years and its relationship with HEC grants to determine libraries’ shares. The survey followed a qualitative design based on an interview technique of data collection. The scope of this study covers all those public sector universities which are chartered by the Government of KPK, recognized by HEC, and eligible for HEC grants on annual basis. Based on this formulation, 15 public sector universities were selected for the survey. Findings The data analysis of the present study revealed that no specific norms are followed by the university administrations in allocating funds for libraries out of HEC annual grants. University libraries in the province either do not have funding polices or are administered by the concerned establishments where Library and Information Science professionals have no role in the financial management of libraries. The study also found that university administrations in KPK either do not provide sufficient share to libraries out of HEC grants or specify an inadequate share which is in violation of the clear instructions of HEC ordinance 2002, Section 10(h). Originality/value This study is the first of its kind in Pakistan as it provides an insight into how much budget is allocated for collection development in the university libraries, compares it with HEC grants to calculate libraries’ share in percentage and suggests to the HEC to encourage university administration to allocate sufficient budget for libraries to improve collection development, service provision, acquisition, selection and patronage.

scholarly journals Determinants of public sector accounting reforms

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (2/3) ◽  
pp. 191-205
Author(s):  
Chitra Sriyani De Silva Lokuwaduge ◽  
Keshara De Silva
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Developing Country ◽  
Financial Management ◽  
Accounting Standards ◽  
Adoption Process ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Public Sector Accounting

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to extend the New Public Financial Management concept and the contingency model approach to an analysis of the determinants of the accrual-based International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) adoption process as a financial management reform in Sri Lanka, a developing country in Asia. Design/methodology/approach Based on the prior literature, this paper develops a framework to highlight the importance of accrual-based reforms in public sector accounting policies to enable better transparency and accountability. It shows the extent to which Sri Lankan public sector institutions have adopted IPSAS-based accounting standards and the limitations of adopting these standards in a developing country, using documentary analysis. Findings In developing countries, the public sector faces practical problems when adopting reforms due to limited institutional capacity, high political involvement and bureaucracy in decision making. This paper concludes that significant policy changes towards the adoption of international accounting standards have gained momentum over the last decade in Sri Lanka while the much larger economies in Asia are still studying this process. However, the prevailing political uncertainty in Sri Lanka has negatively impacted the implementation process. Originality/value Relatively little is known about the diffusion of, and the difficulties in, implementing accrual-based IPSAS in the Asian region. This paper is an attempt to fill this gap by exploring the Sri Lankan experience. This could be applied by other developing countries in Asia, including the high-growth nations, for policy adoption and accounting harmonisation.

scholarly journals Institutionalisation of the Cash Basis International Public Sector Accounting Standard in the Central Government of Bangladesh

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salah Uddin Rajib ◽  
Pawan Adhikari ◽  
Mahfuzul Hoque ◽  
Mahmuda Akter
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Emerging Economies ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Reform Process ◽  
Institutional Pressures ◽  
Accounting Standard ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Adoption And Implementation ◽  
Public Sector Accounting ◽  
Cash Basis

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine public sector accounting reforms, mainly the adoption and implementation of the Cash Basis International Public Sector Accounting Standard (IPSAS) in the Central Government of Bangladesh. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on the ideas of new institutionalism, the paper investigates the factors which have forced the country to accept the Cash Basis IPSAS but have delayed its implementation in practice. Findings Different approaches towards the Cash Basis IPSAS are now distinct in the Central Government of Bangladesh. Differences between Bangladesh and other emerging economies have been narrowed as the potency of institutional pressures has increased, and there is a risk, as experienced in other emerging economies, that the very adoption of the Cash Basis IPSAS may remain more a rhetoric than a reality in Bangladesh. The paper demonstrates that the extent to which professional accountants and their associations participate in reforms determines the public sector accounting reform trajectories in emerging economies. Practical implications The paper demonstrates that reforms driven by indigenous administrators can have the potential of becoming more instrumental in emerging economies than the externally propagated reforms, such as IPSASs and accrual accounting. What is important is to advance incrementally those public sector accounting reforms that local administrators have identified as important, that they could cope with their existing knowledge and capacity, and that they are interested in engaging with the reform process. Originality/value First, the study has contributed to extending neo-institutional theory by bringing out the responses of different stakeholders responsible for implementing public sector accounting reforms, mainly the Cash Basis IPSAS, in practice. Next, the paper has raised a question as to whether the Cash Basis IPSAS could be an appropriate reform measure for the central government of Bangladesh.

Public sector financial management reforms in Ghana: insights from institutional theory

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lexis Alexander Tetteh ◽  
Cletus Agyenim-Boateng ◽  
Samuel Nana Yaw Simpson ◽  
Daniel Susuawu
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Emerging Economies ◽  
Financial Management ◽  
Business Case ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Management Information ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Public Sector Accounting ◽  
Internal Stakeholders ◽  
The Impact

PurposeIn this study, we use neoinstitutional sociology to explore how institutional pressures exerted on Ghana influenced the government’s decision to adopt, implement and use integrated financial management information systems (IFMIS) for the management of public financial resources.Design/methodology/approachBased on a case study of Ghana’s Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD), the study uses a qualitative interpretive case approach as the methodological stance, and some key officials involved in the implementation of the IFMIS project were interviewed and documentary evidence was also analyzed to achieve triangulation of data and results.FindingsThe results show that the IFMIS reform was instigated by two main forces. One is the pressure from external stakeholders like the World Bank related to funding relationships. The other is the indigenous pressures coming from internal stakeholders who felt dissatisfied with the outcomes of previous reforms. The findings also suggest that many contingencies for successful reforms to IFMIS were present in Ghana, such as the commitment of internal stakeholders, the training programs for improving the needed skills of employees, and the will to get inspired by best practices abroad. Nevertheless, ultimate users mostly were hesitant to use IFMIS due to fears of losing their jobs because of institutionalized practices and a lack of IT skills. The study further revealed that, even if many conditions for a successful reform, especially regarding adoption and implementation, are in place, the reform may ultimately fail due to the impact of other factors that particularly regard the use of the newly developed accounting repertoire.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study can be considered as a blueprint to emerging economies yet to adopt and implement similar IT-based Public Financial Management Information System (PFMIS). Moreover, given that some ultimate users exhibited resistance to the use of the new system, the results will prompt emerging economies that have not yet implemented IT-based PFMIS to recognize that cultural change management is an inevitable condition for successful implementation and use of IT-based PFMIS.Originality/valueThis study contributes to studies on public sector accounting reform in emerging economies by highlighting how the adoption of public sector accounting reform was instigated by both development partners and indigenous institutions responsible for ensuring effective and transparent management of public funds. Furthermore, unlike previous studies, the implementation team imported business case ideas from the private sector to augment the IFMIS implementation.

Internal marketing and customer-contact employees’ attitudinal outcomes

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 124-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arleen Hernández-Díaz ◽  
Theany Calderon-Abreu ◽  
Maria Amador-Dumois ◽  
Mario Córdova-Claudio
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Internal Marketing ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Internal Communication ◽  
Public Higher Education ◽  
Customer Contact ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public

Purpose Higher education institutions, particularly in the case of public universities, face the challenge of creating more value in an environment of increasing requirements and limitations. The purpose of this paper is to explore the relation of internal marketing (IM) with employees’ attitudinal outcomes, which aim to stimulate and retain motivated and customer-conscious contact employees. Design/methodology/approach Survey data of 94 customer-contact employees in a public higher education institution were analysed using partial least squares path modelling to explore and predict key target constructs. Findings The results demonstrate the relationship between customer-contact employees’ service empathy (SE), institutional IM initiatives and employees’ attitudinal outcomes in the public sector, specifically higher education institutions. Research limitations/implications The current study relies on self-reported data and a small sample of customer-contact employees working only on enrolment-related areas. Further studies should be designed for theory confirmation and generalizability of the results. Practical implications Top managers in public higher education institutions must encourage organizational identification through IM initiatives, such as well-established internal communication procedures. Academic management should continuously train and retain customer-contact employees that have developed SE and a sense of belonging to the organization. SE must be incorporated in the job descriptions and training of customer-contact employees. Originality/value The study contributes to the limited literature on the use of IM and SE in the public sector, specifically higher education institutions.

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